The Protege
by Brady Corduroy
Summary: All Phoenix Wright needed was a new assistant, someone to get the paperwork going in and out. Instead, he got a whole new partner, someone to be his right hand. But what secrets hide in his past and is he ready to confront them? Rated T for Phoenix Wright reasons
1. Chapter 1: Assistance

**The Protégé**

 **Chapter 1: Assistance**

The cool, brisk wind of the mid-winter weather hit Phoenix Wright as he entered the apartment complex to work. It was rather meek stuff for Phoenix after the Hazakura wind he had endured in his last case, but it was uncomfortable nonetheless. It was almost 9 AM when he went to his office door and unlocked it. This was actually earlier than usual for him, his start time typically being 10 AM, and if a client called, it usually wasn't until after noon that a significant investigation began. But today he had woken up too early and there wasn't much to do outside of going in to the office.

Usually, he'd have to inspect the office thoroughly. It usually had some grit and grime (or food crumbs), but it had just been him for the past several weeks, so it earned just a momentary spot check this morning from him. He then turned his attention to the humongous stack of documents on his desk. It was all boring legal coding documents about where each case fit into the laws and bylaws of each laws. Phoenix really hadn't been too good with these in law school, and had for the most part left it to his assistant Maya, who was gone indefinitely. With her absence, it fell back on Phoenix's shoulders.

 _Well better get started._ Phoenix thought to himself. _Not going to get anything done just standing around._

Unfortunately, not only was Phoenix not very good at this, but it was a huge amount of papers on top of it. So things progressed very slowly.

"…Sorry Nick…" She said.

Phoenix jumped back a little bit, spilling papers on the ground. He looked around, searching for the sight of the voice, hoping it was the person he thought it was. He quickly figured out that it was merely a voice in his idea, some sort of a recollection. And he had a spill of papers on the floor now.

 _Great. I'm getting messy and going crazy. Just great._

Phoenix rubbed his right hand through the carefully manicured spikes on the back of his head, sighing deeply. He was beginning to develop a minor headache as well, irritating the temples in the back of his head to a slight throbbing sensation.

 _I need a break. Who would talk to me in such a situation?_

Phoenix then looked through the contacts list on his cell phone, now aging terribly with the new smartphones of the latest century. It did its job though and that was the important part. He then began thinking who would availably help him.

 _Hmm, Godot is in jail so that can be safely checked off._

 _Von Karma? ... No. Checked off._

 _Edgeworth? … Worth a shot._

And so Phoenix dialed the number to Edgeworth's office at the Prosecutor's office.

"Ring. Ring. Ring." So went the most monotone dialing machine in the history of dialing machines, carrying on to the point where Phoenix was practically certain Edgeworth wasn't even in the office. And then just like that, the ringing ended.

"Miles Edgeworth speaking." Said the man at the other end, most certainly Miles Edgeworth.

"Hey Edgeworth…" Phoenix was suddenly at a loss as he hadn't thoroughly thought out his conversation with Edgeworth. He just kind of called gung ho and all. "How are you today?"

Edgeworth just sighed over the phone. "Wright, I've already told you that I'm extremely busy at work. I've been running around the country and I just got back from an investigation, the last thing I want is a random personal call Wright." His voice was calculated and controlled.

"Well, sorry…" Phoenix began before his voice started trailing off. "I don't mean to disrupt your work, I was just…"

Once again, Phoenix lost his voice it seemed.

"Lonely?" Edgeworth finished for him. On the other end, Phoenix began to frown.

 _Well yeah. No way I'd say that to Edgeworth though._

Phoenix scratched the back of his head, as he struggled to finish his sentence on a less dismal note.

 _Just bluff it out. Just like in court._

"Umm, no?" Came his reply, his voice quite meekly.

… _Or not._

Edgeworth had been silent for a while, waiting for Phoenix's response. Now he seemed ready for his retort.

"Wright, I think you need people back in your life." He said.

Phoenix was quite puzzled on the other end. "What do you mean?"

"Like how Maya needed your attention frequently and it refocused you? Right now it's just you, and it's not helping you out." He said, continuing to sound controlled.

"Your right! I haven't even given thought to it since I've had all this work lately, but it seems so obvious now: I need an assistant to help me out! I can't just do this all on my own." Phoenix's voice picked up as he went, and he began sounding greatly upbeat. "But who should I hire?"

"Well, what about just bringing the Feys back?" Edgeworth asked inquisitively.

 _So that was where he was originally going with this…_

"Being master has eaten up all of Maya's time, and Pearls really can't leave. She's nine years old after all."

There was a shuddering silence from the other line. "Right." He finally said.

 _Don't tell me that he…_

 _Never mind, I don't want to know._

"Well" Edgeworth began with a phone clearing hack "the only suggestion I have for you is to get an actual law student. I don't think you'll find another Maya out there."

 _He's right. There's not another Maya…_

"I appreciate the suggestion, but where would I look? After all I don't have a steady stream of posh prosecutors just waltzing on in."

Edgeworth forced up a fake laugh over the phone. "Very funny, Wright." Came the sarcastic reply.

 _Who said I was kidding?_

"Unfortunately I have no great leads, as I mostly interact with prosecutors, rookie and veteran alike. So you're mostly on your own I'm afraid."

"Damn. Well thanks for giving me a lead to start with Edgeworth."

"Well actually, I take that back; I do have one possible prospect for you. A bit of a long shot, but its fits your style."

Phoenix was greatly interested, if for no other reason than it would allow him to not create several bland, puny posters for the job. "Alright let me in on the dirt."

"If you mean the prospect, here's what I know: I went down to interview him for a possible position in the prosecutor's office as his marks in law school were quite impressive. However, he refused, saying he wants to be a defense attorney, claiming it is the only way to fulfill his mission." Edgeworth sounded at least a little annoyed (disappointed?) in his voice over the loss.

"What do you mean by his mission?" Phoenix asked. This sounded vaguely like him; had to be why Edgeworth thought of him.

"Your guess is as good as mine; very tight lipped, a bit of an introvert in fact. But I've heard nothing but great things from his instructors about his dedication, and so I feel this is someone who could be an asset to you, Wright."

 _Yep, as I thought._

"I'm definitely going to make plans to meet him. What's his name?" Phoenix asked.

"Brady Hastings. He's 22 years old, currently working in Sacramento as an intern, but he has finished law school." Edgeworth finished.

Phoenix was suddenly taken aback. "Sacramento!? That's at least six hours away in a car, seventeen by bus!"

"I understand it would be difficult for you to make arrangements, but I assure you that it'll be worth it."

"Can't you at least give me a private jet ride there?" Phoenix asked in a desperate voice.

Edgeworth let out a light chuckle. "International use only Wright. I will let my colleagues in the Sacramento County Law offices know of your arrival so that you don't get stood up."

 _Damn. Guess that means it's going to be a nice long train trip. At least I won't get stood up._

Phoenix let out a frustrated sigh "Well thanks Edgeworth, I appreciate you telling me about this. Hopefully it'll be worth the trip."

"Me too Wright. Me too." Edgeworth said as he hung up the phone.

 _Well no time to waste then. Time to look up times for the buses and get going I guess._

And so Phoenix, looking at the clock, saw it was already past noon and he had absolutely no time to waste as he prepared to board the 1:30 to Sacramento.

 **XXX**

 **About a Day later…**

It was only a day ago since Phoenix's conversation with Edgeworth, but it felt like a week ago with all the hurdles he'd gone through. The bus cost over $30 and the ride was roughly about 20 or so hours. It didn't help that for a 12 hour period there had been a woman with a young child, probably about a year or younger, who seemed to be having a bad day and constantly needed more room.

Upon finally reaching the capital city, Phoenix was nothing except exhausted. Sweat was clearly visible through his white dress shirt, having accumulated as the hours passed. He knew as soon as he had stepped off the bus, that he was in no condition to be professional. He looked at his cell phone clock. It read back that it was 7:32 AM.

 _Nobody in their right mind is ready for an interview. I'm going to get some rest and go by in the afternoon._

After calling and getting fare for a taxi, Phoenix went to the closest motel to the offices. Well it was actually called Go Tel 7, but it was essentially a motel for the underbelly of the city, but convenient as it was only two miles away. After paying the young looking guy at the front desk, Phoenix went to room 62 and dropped his bag on the bed and took a glance around his room. It was a dark shade of orange with several oblique bumps on the walls. In the furthest right corner of the room laid the TV, plugged right into a cable socket. It was definitely dated, being rather bulky. Phoenix tried to open the bathroom next, but the immediate smell that greeted him as he opened the door was so revolting that he quickly decided his bladder was empty. Shortly after finishing the tour of his room, Phoenix used the dark blinds on the windows to block out the bright California sun, and set an 11:30 alarm on his phone. To this point it hadn't failed him before, so he felt good about this.

 _Get a quick rest, meet this guy and head home. Airtight as I would say in court. Nothing can or will go wrong._

Phoenix then closed his eyes as he laid on the right bed of the twin beds. And for a serene moment it was greatly quiet as the world seemed to be sitting still just for him. He didn't give a thought to what time it was or to the things going on in the rooms around him like he usually would. He was drifting out when he suddenly heard a voice. It wasn't clear enough to be fully heard, as it sounded distant and faint from where he was. However hearing it had alerted Phoenix, so he opened his eyes and started looking around the room.

The first noticeable thing was that the room's color seemed to have lightened up considerably. No longer was it dark, puke orange but it looked sun orange almost like a giant crayon had colored the room in his mini slumber. Also no longer were there two beds, but just the one he had slept one in the middle as if the two had somehow morphed together. As he stood up, the voice talked again, this time more clearly.

"N-Nick-k-k…"

Phoenix was taken aback. It was familiar, and yet also impossible if logic was clear.

 _But Kurain… It-It's even further away now! How is this possible!?_

After finishing his inner monologue battle, Phoenix realized the voice was coming from the bathroom worthy of condemnation.

 _I guess I have no choice._

As he thought this to himself, he cupped his hands over his nose hoping to avoid some sort of poisoning or some other danger. However as he opened the door he was stunned that the rancid smells were completely gone. Looking in there was a mirror above a sink stained with piss and feces, and a toilet with no seat. The shower to the right was barely the size of the room and the shower curtain was also covered in what Phoenix sorely hoped was ketchup. It would be fair to say that this bathroom was confirming all the reasons why people did not like motels. But somehow none of those smells or sights were bothering Phoenix at the moment, as he was solely focused on discovering the origin of the voice. And then he heard it again.

"NICK!"

This time there was no doubt who it was or that it was coming from behind the shower curtain.

 _I don't know what to think. I just know I'm too intrigued and close to back out now._

Phoenix took a deep breath in and out to calm his nerves. He couldn't say this was the most surreal situation he'd ever been in, but it was the most sudden he'd been thrusted into on his own. The breathing did nothing as he was still shaking severely from the dissonance between what he heard behind there and what he knew couldn't be there. Still he was in too deep to back out now. As the trepidation rose inside of him, Phoenix slowly pulled back the shower curtain to reveal a human figure facing away from him. The person was wearing no clothes, but the angle revealed nothing that wouldn't or shouldn't have otherwise been seen. The person also had extremely long black hair, straight down with no waves or curves within. Phoenix had an idea who it was, and went to confirm his suspicion. Approaching the figure from the back, Phoenix put his arm on the right shoulder.

 _This-This can't be real can it?_

"Maya-!"

But Phoenix was suddenly stunned by a bright flashing light and couldn't see a thing in front of him. It was all bright and white. Phoenix couldn't even move, frozen in place by uncertainty and fear of what was next. When suddenly a noise occurred.

*Ring Ring* *Ring Ring*

Phoenix suddenly lunged forward to see the ugly orange walls once again. He then realized the sound was his earlier set phone alarm on the bed stand next to him. 11:30 just as he had set.

 _It was all just a dream. A pretty disturbing dream though._

He breathed heavily as he came to his realization, although another one had also begun to set in. Phoenix wished he could say that this was the first occurrence and just the result of the exhaustion the trip had caused him. But he knew it wasn't true.

 _I wish these would just stop. The random voice, the odd dreams. Maybe it's because…_

But Phoenix stopped from pursuing his thought any further. He wasn't ready to figure it all out yet. He was just ready to go interview his new potential assistant and go home.

 **XXX**

The Sacramento County law offices were as big as he had expected of an office in the capital city. White columns sat on the sides of the entrance doors, which were rotating doors covered in gold plating. The stairs to climb up were made of fine marble, and as Phoenix discovered while climbing up, as slick as they appeared shiny. Walking into the lobby room, it was surprisingly empty for a county office. There were only two people sitting in the waiting area along with the receptionist behind her desk. One person was a younger looking man, probably in his early twenties or even a late teenager sitting far on the left end. The other was an elderly woman, covering her face up with a cloth so her age wasn't immediately clear for Phoenix's estimation. He quickly finished his game of silent profiling and went up to the receptionist to continue his quest.

"Hello, I'm here to see someone." He began.

"Do you have an appointment? If so what time?" She asked blankly.

… _Crap! All Edgeworth said was that they were expecting me. He didn't tell me a time!_

"Umm, no but…" but he was suddenly cut off.

"No excuses. No appointment, no go." She said as blank as before.

Phoenix was annoyed at this. He did not come all the way out to Sacramento to be sent away.

"Well Madame, I had a friend of mine in a high place tell me that I was expected so does that work?" He forced up a smile as much he didn't have any desire to do so.

 _It better!_

"Who is this 'friend' of yours?" She asked, this time quite mockingly of him. She clearly thought he was lying.

"Miles Edgeworth." Phoenix responded with his own blank expression. She was taken aback and pulled out her telephone.

"Please take a seat sir, I'll be right back with you." She said. Her tone reflected worry, as she had begun to realize she might have made an error. Still Phoenix had little to do now, so he went and sat down next to the old lady. Sitting by her, he could now tell that she was not just covering her face, but concealing tears as he could hear faint crying. It didn't take him too long to realize that this could take a while, so he might as well try to start conversation with her.

"Excuse me Madame?" he asked. She then turned towards him and for some reason was completely startled by this.

 _Not embarrassing. Not at all._ Phoenix thought in order to regain his composure.

"Sorry young man, this has been a hard time for me." She said through the tears and phlegm that cluttered her voice. "I recently lost my partner."

"I'm so sorry to hear. Is that why you're here today?" He immediately felt somewhat insensitive for asking though and almost took it back before she replied.

"Yes sadly, the government said the plot of land we owned for his burial was not properly purchased even though we did it over twenty years ago."

 _They bought it when I was about six years old, so they probably were together long before that. That's…. a bit mind blowing._

"That sounds like a very silly thing for the government to quibble over with someone who I'm sure doesn't deserve it."

"I agree, but I would do this every time. Anything for my dear Ron." She said, sounding a little happier if only marginally so. "When you find that person, you'll do anything for them. You understand what I mean?"

Phoenix nodded in agreement, thinking about a response when the receptionist rang the bell. "Mr. Wright?" she said.

He figured the person she talked to had told her his name after getting somewhat in a quibble with them. She then handed him a piece of paper after he stepped up to the counter.

"Floor 4, Room 425. He'll be there, and he's waiting." She said, her tone coming off harshly and sounding hurried. She must have wanted nothing more than to forget this incident with her sudden change in tone. Phoenix just wanted to go home himself, so he politely nodded back and began climbing the stairs to the fourth floor, then looking for room 425. Upon finding and entering the room, he suddenly felt as if he had entered the Daily Bugle, or a comically imagine police station. Several desk cubicles lined in the middle of the room with two wooden walls with a large glass window in the middle on both sides. The majority of the people seemed entirely preoccupied in their work, so Phoenix saw no need to bother them. Instead he went to the furthest desk to the left of the room. The name plate on it read simply "boss."

 _Well no one will mix you up now will they?_ Phoenix thought as he read it. _I guess I'll need to talk to this guy to find my guy won't I?_

Luckily this man was right in front of Phoenix. The man was portly and rotund with a mountain of papers to rival the one Phoenix had unintentionally created back at his office.

"Excuse me sir?" Phoenix asked,

"Yes spiky?" He asked, giggling like a school girl as he said it.

 _Well aren't you a comedian?_ "I'm Phoenix Wright, here to meet Mr. Hastings."

"Oh Mr. Wright or Mr. Spikes?" The man mockingly asked, his face red in laughter at his own hilarity supposedly. Phoenix would've been a lot more annoyed had he not recognized he's so close, so he bit his tongue. He then pointed Phoenix to a room across the hall to the right, claiming that was where Hastings was. Phoenix did so and walked into a lone cubicle room. There he spotted a young man working diligently.

He was a mostly average height, probably just a tad below Phoenix with a thin stomach was unnoticeable without nit picking. His hair was a dark shade of brown and he was clean shaven. He currently was wearing black dress attire and brown pants. A weird match but Phoenix had seen a lot worse in his years.

"Brady Hastings?" Phoenix asked.

He turned upwards from his work to face Phoenix, where he came face to face with the bluest eyes Phoenix had ever seen. It was almost unnerving to him.

"You are Mr. Wright?" Came a deep, but meek sounding voice. _Nerves I guess._

"That I am." He said. "I've heard some good things about you, and your wish to be a defense attorney."

Brady nodded back, clearly looking a little more comfortable with Phoenix then he had just two minutes ago. "Yeah, it's all I need to do. I just haven't found someone to take me in and help me along the way."

 _Need to do? Interesting way of wording that. I wonder if that's his way of wording his mission._

"Well normally I'm a bit more through then this, but I had a recommendation for you from someone I know, so I'm willing to give you a chance off the bat." Phoenix said. "You will have to come to Los Angeles, but I have a spare room I'll pay for with part of your pay."

Phoenix saw Brady was having a bit of information overload, so he slowed down and decided to let him take it in.

"I understand this is a lot of information all at once, so I'll just give you my card and-" Phoenix started before being cut off.

"I'll take it!" He said gleefully. Somehow this was the same person who five minutes ago looked like a clam with how non talkative he had been.

"Are you sure? I mean it's at least six hours away you're committing to." He said.

"Yes, Mr. Wright. I'm sure." He said.

And so they shook on it and Phoenix had his first legal assistant in some time, and perhaps his first real legal partner in three years. He could not have even begun to imagine the adventures they would endure together.

 **A/N: Hey guys, if you read the original version of this story and wondered what happened to it, I took it down to revise it. It didn't feel right when I reread it and wrote up future chapter so I took it down to revise it a bit. Anyhow hope you enjoyed this, let me know in the reviews!**


	2. Chapter 2: Starting Out

**Disclaimer: I don't own Phoenix Wright or Ace Attorney characters or properties.**

 **Chapter 2: Starting Out**

 **April 6** **th** **, 10:12 AM, Wright and Co Law Offices**

As Brady stared at his new housing arrangements, he was a little disappointed with himself. All he saw was a small room in the far right end of Mr. Wright's office with the bathroom outside to the right of it. The room had a small bed centered closer to the left edge of the room then to the right with an alarm clock on the furthest stand from the bed. It was as barren as he had feared. It had taken a few weeks for everything to get sorted out between LA and Sacramento so his expectations may have unnecessarily rose.

 _Well I always told myself I'd make any and all adjustments to reach my goal, so this is what I got._

Brady thought to himself as he unloaded his suitcase into the room. There wasn't much in there which made the preparations for the six hour car ride much easier than it would be for most. Considering the state of his car, he'd always joke with others that it probably couldn't hold much more or it'd bust. Still though he was a light lodger and as a result a light packer. It only took him about ten minutes to fully unpack, making the room not much different. He had brought red sheets for the bed and had a framed picture of a family. In the picture was a young man who looked like Brady with maybe his family. It was definitely aged as Brady was much shorter and less toned even to then.

Brady smiled as he looked at the picture. _I'll fix this. I'll find it all out and fix it all._

After making sure he was wearing appropriate attire for working, even in his own new home, he stepped out to the living room esque area, likely a waiting room. It had a couch and a television in the center of the room, with a desk conspicuously on the right of the television. On the far left was a window facing the streets and finally in the back, before it curved into his bedroom area, was a mini-kitchen with a counter and a refrigerator. It was actually quite nice and would be a good morning area Brady thought to himself silently. He then looked to realize that Mr. Wright was sitting on the couch, drinking coffee. Brady pulled a chair from the desk to sit in front of him.

"Good morning Mr. Wright!" came the enthusiastic reply. "I'm ready for day one of work!"

Mr. Wright looked up to face him, black circles under his eyes telling the story of the night before.

"Oh sorry, kind couldn't get, uh, any sleep last night." Phoenix, his voice sounding gargled and disoriented. "Well anyhow, you understand the basic ins and outs of legal paperwork right?"

"Sure do. That was pretty much the job for me back in Sacramento as well sir. I can do pretty much anything you need me to do." Brady said.

Phoenix smiled back, hiding some of the fatigue he was experiencing at the moment. "Good, let me know if you got any problems. Later, if you're not too worn out from all the excitement, I could lend you my bar study guide." Phoenix said, clearly mocking the job. Brady was clearly intrigued by the last statement though.

"You think I should take the Bar?" he said in a surprised voice. "You're the second person to ever suggest that to me honestly."

"Well you should most certainly try if you, ya know, wanna be a defense attorney." He said with a sly look on his face.

 _Well he is right, it is essential to becoming an attorney. Still not many have even given me a chance._

"I'd like that. I'd like it a lot." He replied, still somewhat stunned.

"Great." Phoenix replied. "Have fun!" he finished with two thumbs up and a mocking smile, clearly indicating that this was not his thing. It wasn't for Brady either, but it is a necessary step in his path.

 **XXX**

Brady wiped some of the sweat out of his eyes and on his forehead, having greatly accumulated despite prominently sitting for what must have been hours. Looking at the desks, he had separated the goliath load of paperwork into two as he went, the finished to the right and the unfinished on his right. By his count to the this point he had finished about thirty five percent of the paperwork which beat Mr. Wright's personal claim of three percent by about thirty two. Still the left stack looked not much small then it had earlier in the day, so the percentages felt like garbage to him. Now he began sweating over garbage numbers, which he decided was the point to stop at least for the time being.

 _I wonder what time it is. Probably been several hours to this point, considering how much I've gotten through._

His face frowned downward in a face of absolute disgust as he read the time on the room clock.

 _12:10!? All that in about two hours! Hot damn!_

Brady looked at the left stack once more before making his next decision on what to do.

 _Probably could afford to get a little bit more done before a real break. Back to work I guess._

And so he returned to the papers, but didn't get far before finding the first real term he didn't know all day. This specific file wanted a courtroom number for the trial in question, which had either been filled in already or not asked on the other files. Mr. Wright had said the court records were in the file cabinets in the room, so Brady got up to look closer. To his surprise, they were actually well organized by year, one cabinet for 2016, one for 2017, and one for 2018. There was also one for 2019, but Mr. Wright had already said that none of the papers today would have anything to do with that year so use looking in there.

"Ah here we go, 2018." Brady thought aloud to himself as he scanned the page and opened the corresponding cabinet and pulling the file out related to his case. It was mostly the same old boring stuff and after finding the courtroom number was about to shut the file when he noticed an oddly colored piece of paper stick out at the bottom. It was purple colored sticking out in an ocean of white and manila yellow, so he pulled it out in curiosity. He realized that it was a children's drawing.

 _Cute, Mr. Wright has an admirer or something._

Looking at it closely, it had three people, two girls and a man, in it standing next to one another with big smiles on their faces. In the center was undeniably Phoenix with his hair showing through even in 2D and his blue suit, labeled by an arrow saying "Mr. Nick."

 _Nick, Phoenix. I guess it fits, especially for a kid. Maybe that'll be my *nick*name for him too._ A smile grew over his face as this thought went through him.

On the left was a girl, who looked smaller then Phoenix but still bigger than the girl on the right. She had what almost looked like a bath robe on, although this was after squinting with all his might. She was also labeled by an arrow, saying "Mystic May-" There was another letter, but it was smudged out, more by the wear and shuffle of the folders then the little artist likely. Finally, on the right was a small girl with similar looking robes on, but he didn't squint hard this time to figure that out. She was labeled by an arrow as "me." None of the squinting could dampen Brady's growing curiosity of the people in the picture.

"Who are these people? Mr. Wright's kids? Siblings? Lawyers united group?" Brady mumbled to himself. _…Ok that last one was ridiculous but I am intrigued nonetheless._

After properly putting the file back to make it look as untouched as possible, but he sat back down to look at the stacks. Virtually the same, and was once again stunned looking at the clock.

 _1:00!? How in the world did I spend almost an hour looking at a drawing?_

But now it was lunchtime in his mind, so he stepped out of the room and back into the waiting room. There he found Mr. Wright playing with a paddle ball board on the couch, his appearance stunning him.

"Boss, I was wondering if you mind if I could take a lunch break." Brady asked.

"Phoenix works fine, and yes but only if you get some for the whole group." He said. Brady made it unintentionally cringe worthy by actually turning back and forth looking for other people.

 _Oh boy, I hope this is a daily thing._ Phoenix thought to himself with an uncontrollable grin on his face. _I could get used to this._

"Will do." Brady said as he got his wallet and walked out the door. About 20 minutes later Brady returned with two burgers. "Didn't really know your preference, so I just got you a regular old burger if that's alright." Phoenix chuckled a little.

"I know the menu well, any burger will do in the future." He said with a smirk. Brady also had one on his face at this point.

"I didn't really take you for a burger person Mr. Wr- err Phoenix." Brady said. _It'll take a while to get used to not saying "Mr." all the time._

"Not me so much as my former assistants." Phoenix replied.

This returned Brady's attention to the drawing from earlier after trying to die while driving earlier. "What were they like? Your assistant before me I mean."

He stopped for a second before smiling big. "She had a huge stomach I'll say that." _So I guess it was those girls in the picture. Or at least one of them anyways._

"Why'd she quit? Or leave?" Brady asked.

Phoenix once again stopped for a second, apparently deep in thought. _I don't think he's quite ready for the Kurain Technique and Fey politics yet._ Phoenix thought to himself. _The less he knows, the better._

"Family matters." He said. It came out rather blunt, a stark contrast from his more relaxed attitude from earlier on. Brady took it as a hint to not delve in to deep yet.

"I see. Is it a permanent thing or not?" Brady asked. _Or in other words could she come back and swoop my job away from me? I'd prefer not to have the rotund comedian as my boss again._

"We'll see. I'll never run out spots though thankfully." Phoenix said, attempting to reassure Brady apparently. Still Brady was a little disappointed that he couldn't get more out of Mr. Wrigh- PHOENIX! Maybe the gruffness would go as they got to work on cases he figured.

 _It couldn't be too long before a case came_ he thought as he began his way back to the Paper Mountains.

 **XXX**

 **April 18** **th** **, 6:22 PM, Wright and Co Law Offices**

A little short of two weeks had passed between the first day of work for Brady, a whole month since the day he met Phoenix and that fateful night. He had finished his main work for the day early after starting at 7 hat morning, allowing him to nap for the first time in what seemed like years. So when he awakened a little after six he felt quite refreshed, until the loud knocking started at his door. Brady merely rolled over the first time.

"Sweats..." He mumbled to the door, not even sure himself what it was meant to mean. Still the knocking wouldn't stop, so he stumbled up to put on his dress clothing of earlier that day, essentially hoping on one foot to the door. At the door was Phoenix with his badge shinier than usual. Brady was rudely disturbed by its shine.

"Why is your badge even shinier then usual?" He asked, finally readjusting to the outside world.

"It's gotta look nice for the clients and judges don't you think?" He said.

 _Wait, we got a case!?_ "So, we've finally gotten a case, Mr. Wright!? I finally get to see a trial from an attorney's perspective?" Brady couldn't hide the excitement, considering this was the main reason he joined a defense attorney's office.

"Well don't entirely get your hopes up. He only wants to meet me, and by extension you, so nothing may come out of it, but we may as well go listen." Phoenix said.

"Agreed. We can take my car if you'd like instead of the bus." Brady offered. "Although I warn you, it's a bit of a metal death trap."

"It can't be that bad I'm sure." Phoenix replied.

And in truth it really wasn't, it was just old. The worst part about it was that some of the apolster of the seats was beginning to wear out, making it an uncomfortable ride. Still Phoenix would take convenience any day and off the two went to the Detention Center.

 **XXX**

 **April 18** **th** **, 7:08 PM, Detention Center**

Entering the Detention Center was suddenly a new experience for both men. It was quite clear that the place had been renovated lately. No longer was there just a guard standing by to let them in to the visiting area, but now there was a huge machine by the side as well. It had a card slot for what seemed to be a swipe able card like a credit card maybe. Standing by the side was a police officer, so the two walked over to ask him about the machine.

"Hello officer, what is this machine about?" Phoenix asked.

"Sires, this is an identification machine. Basically you swipe your card and it keeps a record of who was in and out and when." The officer said.

Phoenix was puzzled. "Any reason for the change?"

"WE had an, uhh, incident involving prosec- err visitors and prisoners coming in and out. So this is an increased security measure." He said.

"Alright, what do we do to be able to go in?" he asked.

"Well sign here, and here, and make sure you sign here…" It took over a half hour for both to get ID cards, and didn't get to enter for the first time until 7:43 PM, as the card would record. Entering the visitor's room, they saw a huge man behind the glass wall. He wore a pink cape and hat, offsetting some of his intimidating size. He stood with his hands by his sides staring both of the men down.

"Mr. Phoenix Wright, I would assume?" He said.

"Shadi Engimar?" Phoenix replied.

There was a brief moment of silence as they were seeming to have a staring contest from afar it seemed to Brady. Finally Engimar broke the silence.

"Who is the boy?" He asked Phoenix.

"This is my new assistant, Brady Hastings. He's an aspiring defense attorney himself."

"I see." Engimar replied. "While I have no issue with you sir, I request you leave momentarily. I need a one on one conversation with Mr. Wright."

Phoenix had his hand in the air to object, but Brady put his to stop him. "No problem. Let me know when I can come back in." In truth, Brady really didn't like it, not at all. But he felt it was duty to listen to the client over his own wishes if necessary.

So he walked out and sat on the bench right outside the door, curious over what they'd be doing. Could he be guilty? What if he's got some sort of secret? Obviously, it must have been important. However, Brady was momentarily distracted by a random sound that directed his attention to the nearby plant in the right corner of the room.

 _What the Hell?_

There Brady saw a man standing behind the plant, looking right at the rooms. The man had blonde hair, wearing glasses, and was dressed rather nicely for someone hiding behind a plant. And then Brady noticed the shine.

 _! That's the same shine as Mr. Wright's badge. Another attorney?_

He decided, against better judgement, to approach the man.

"Excuse me sir?" Brady asked as walked towards him. Instead, the man ran away out of the detention center, long gone by the time Brady even looked up.

 _Damn, that was weird as hell._

Just then Phoenix stepped out of the visitor's room.

"So can I go in now?" Brady asked.

"Well, he kicked us out. We're done here." He said seriously.

Brady looked disappointed. "So no case then?"

"Oh no we have the case, in fact it starts tomorrow. He just hasn't told us anything about it." He said.

"Wait, I'm confused." Brady said puzzled. "What were you doing in there?"

"Well…. We were playing poker." He said nonchalantly.

 _What!? They were playing cards?_

"You mean we basically drove down here to play cards with a weirdo and take his case with no knowledge on the case?" Brady asked with hands in the air in a confused look.

"To be honest I don't even know. I just know we go to court tomorrow at 10." He said.

"This sounds pretty "Shadi" if you ask me." Brady said, fishing for a laugh. Fortunately Mr. Wright was willing to give it to him as they left, not quite sure what they were getting themselves into.

 **XXX**

 **UNKNOWN LOCATION**

"So that magician kicks me out over poker!?" A mysterious man fumes to himself in the confines of his office. "Not only that, but for Phoenix Wright! A loser like him!" The man pounds his fist on the desk he is sitting at, causing part of carefully manicured hair to be undo'd, enraging him even more.

He looked around the room, looking at the various awards lined up along his wall. They all read "Best at…" or "Winner of…" even a few "First place" ones. This man clearly wasn't ok with playing second fiddle.

"Think, think. How to come out on top…" the man thought aloud to himself. He then remembered something, quickly opening his drawer to pull out a piece of paper. It read like a diary entry and even had tears along it's edges. But the man knew the real truth behind the page.

"I will ruin you Phoenix Wright…. RUIN YOU!" The man yelled as he devolved into maniacal laughing into the night.


	3. Ch 3: Defending Magicians fro Rockstars

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed Chapter 2 and the situation it set up. I've never been a huge fan of the disbarment storyline from AJ, so kind of nice to put my own take on it and establish a different timeline. Let me know how I'm doing in the review column below :D**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice, or any of the properties associated with them, they belong to Capcom.**

 **Chapter 3: Defending Magicians from Rockstars**

 **April 19** **th** **, 9:27 AM, District Court, Defendant Lobby No. 2**

As the two men entered the defendant's lobby, a wave of nerves suddenly struck them both for their reasons. One entering for the first time as a professional, a small case of the rookie jitters. Another suffering from a long break between cases having a little jittery fearfulness as well. Phoenix looked a lot more perspired then Brady did.

 _Man, it's been so long so I felt so disadvantaged in a case. Need to compose myself._

Phoenix looked over to his client, Shadi Engimar, or Zak Gramarye as he usually went by to his fan base. For someone whose life was on the line he looked remarkably relaxed compared to the counsels. Phoenix's normally spiky hair had dampened down a little into slumped arrow while his suit had darkened with the amount of sweat that had enveloped it in the past hours in frantic preparation for the trial. Brady meanwhile had a noticeable spike in his own hair having just run his usually short through water and had on a light grey suit, which worked remarkably well at concealing his sweatiness. It could not hide the shaking shoes of his though, as they reverberated throughout the entire lobby of about 5 or 6 people. Zak merely had a smile on his face while talking to a similarly dressed little girl before approaching the two.

"Good morning Mr. Wright, and assistant." He said to the two of them. "I hope you were able to prepare in the short amount of time."

 _Thanks for learning my name…_

"Good morning to you too Mr. Engimar. Too be honest, I wish I could tell you that we're prepared but I can't lie to you, we both feel rather unprepared." Phoenix replied back with the most serious look Brady had seen on his face to this point.

"I understand that I'm asking of some magic from you instead of me, but I have total faith in you two." Mr. Engimar said, his uncanny grin growing the more he spoke. "From what I've heard, you haven't failed a client before so I will believe it won't start today."

 _That's true, but most of my clients are actually helpful unlike you, Mr. Poker Face._

"Well, I just became your attorney yesterday evening. And on top of that, all we did was play cards…" Phoenix said.

The grin on Engimar's face grew even wider. "And that was enough." As his arms crossed around his body. _The closet must be stuffed with skeletons. Who knows what we'll find out today…?_

To this point, Brady had been silent both for a lack of something to say and nervousness. His introversion was coming into play at the worst time as not only was he just silently standing, but he truly had very little knowledge of the actual case. He was silently fretting it out inside his own head.

 _Oh man, this is worse than I expected. Stupid anxiety has to come into play at the worst time._

Suddenly the voice of Mr. Engimar startled him as he had begun to talk to him. "And Mr. assistant, are you ready also?"

 _Well I'm pretty sure Mr. Wright just said he wasn't ready, but this guy doesn't seem the listening type._

"U-Umm-m, y-yess-s sir…" Brady began trailing off just saying that. "Just r-rook-k-k-i-ie jitt-t-tt-ers." He sounded like Porky Pig instead of a defense attorney's assistant.

"It's his very first time." Phoenix jumped to his defense. "Stars are truly hitting at this point."

Just then the little girl from earlier walked over towards after no one had noticed where she had been.

"Good morning Daddy!" She said towards Mr. Engimar. _So I guess that is his daughter._ Both men thought the same thing unknowingly.

"Oh sweetie! You already said good morning!" He said, although he seemed much more genuine. His smile of a thousand secrets became a natural smile of joy to see his daughter.

"They better not be picking on you daddy!" She said back, to which he laughed back. "Nonsense, these old boys are here to keep everything straight." Both men just stared back at one another in disbelief as neither was even thirty.

"Now Trucy, we're still talking grown up things so how about you start preparing for our "performance" some more." He said to his daughter.

"Oh right! Today's my first show after all and I can't let the world down!" She said with a proud gleam in her eyes. She then walked off from the adults as they continued preparations. The conversation went on for a few more minutes before it hit a lull as they reached a question Mr. Engimar wasn't intrigued in answering.

 _I'll admit, for a jerk he's got a cute little kid… Say where did she run off to anyways? Be a shame if we lost her._

Looking around the room, he noticed something odd in the corner of the room. Trucy was talking to someone? _Who in the world is that?_

In the corner of the room, the little girl was standing there having a conversation…. With a plant.

 _What the hell is that girl doing? I sure hope that's just a plant she's talking to._

Brady then walked up to the side of the girl, who was just at that time turning around to face him.

"Hey Mr. Old Spiky Boy Assistant!" She said to him full of glee.

 _Thanks a lot Mr. Engimar. First time I've been called old at 22._ "Are you alright? I noticed you were kind of talking, um, with…" Brady felt uncomfortable asking if she was having an imaginary conversation with a tree. Something about it made him fear Mr. Engimar would appear right behind him to terrify him out of such a thought. Still he forced himself to ask.

"Were you talking to someone over here?" He asked.

"Oh yeah!" She said. Before Brady could say anything about trees being objects, she pulled out a piece of paper from her pink oversized hat. "They handed me this." She said as she handed the paper over to him.

"Hmmm, what's this?"" he said, examining the note. It had ripped edges on the side, although the bottom was more intact then the top. He then read the note.

" **It seems fate's clock will**

 **make me wait a little longer.**

 **...At least, only less than**

 **ten swift minutes remain.**

 **To all those who have**

 **supported me in my life's**

 **work, I give thanks.**

 **Farewell!"**

 **Magnifi Gramarye"**

 _Magnifi Gramarye? That's the victim! Thank goodness I remembered that much, maybe this is important to our case._

"Little uhh…"

"Trucy?" He said. She just smiled back. _Phew._ "Umm, where did you get this?"

"They gave it to me and said ""old boy in the blue suit with the spiky hair"" _DAMMIT I'M NOT THAT OLD! Stills something sounds off. I feel calling the person they means she doesn't know who it was._

"Did you know who it was?" He asked her. She shook her head back. "Nope, he just said it was really important."

"Well thank you, I'll keep it safe for Mr. Wright." He said back to her. He turned to see Mr. Wright gesturing him to come over. _I'll keep this to myself for now. Something about this just seems off, and the less Mr. Wright knows the better._

"Sorry, I was making sure Trucy wasn't talking to plants." Almost falling away from Mr. Engimar as he said this. "Oh you're a riot Mr. Assistant!"

 _This is going to go smoothly, I can tell…_

 **XXX**

 **April 19** **th** **, 9:54 AM, District Court, Courtroom No. 2**

Entering the courtroom for the first time, Brady was taken in by the size of it. The stands and benches for both sides looked as though it were made of gold, even though it wasn't. The flags of the state of California and the USA hung above both. It looked…

 _Kind of small actually. I always envisioned a huge sprawling room with several courts in one… Of course that was when I was about 12 so I guess it was a dumb thought._

He then exited his thoughts to see Mr. Wright not much more relaxed then he had been in the lobby.

"So Mr. Wright, do you think we actually have a chance?" He asked. "I'm becoming more doubtful the more we speak with Mr. Gramarye, err Engimar."

"I really don't think we even know enough. This is very bare bones details even by that definition."

"Right." Brady mumbled.

"Our one saving grace may be that the prosecutor today is as experienced as you are, a rookie himself." Phoenix said. "He's apparently a prodigy of sorts, but the Prosecutor's office always exaggerates that a little. We'll be fine."

 _I sure hope so. Even if he's a rookie, it's not like we've got the upper hand or anything on him._

"You studied up too of course right?" He asked.

"Of course. The victim is Magnifi Gramarye, the famous founder of Troupe Gramarye. His brand of magic revolutionized the business and he and his disciples flourished as a result. But ten days ago he was found shot dead in the head and Zak Gramarye, legally known as Shadi Engimar, is the chief suspect."

Phoenix nodded in reply. "Good enough, that's why we're here now though. To figure all the details out and find the truth."

"And save Mr. Gramarye?" Phoenix smile back. "If he's innocent that is."

Brady didn't know if that was a slight to their client or some other reference, but he didn't have time to ponder. The judge and prosecution entered their respective benches, and the gallery silenced as the clock struck ten. The trial was set to begin as the judge pounded down on his gavel.

"Court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Shadi Engimar."

"The defense is ready, Your Honor."

A man in a black motorcycle suit stood across behind the Prosecutor's bench snapping his fingers. "Man, what a buzzkill," He said, his accent heavily German.

"A buzz-kill? What sort of crime is this "buzz-kill?" The Judge asked confused. The man grinned back. "Only the worst. Where's the excitement? The heart beating action?"

 _!_

 _Is that…. The man from the Detention Center last night? Was he spying on us to figure us out?_

"Who are you again?" The judge asked.

"Klavier Gavin, here to electrify the legal shows, ja?" He said, his speech still very audible despite the thickness of his accent.

"Ah. Are you perhaps related to Kristoph Gavin?"

"Figures the bro's more known around here." Klavier said brushing a hand through his hair.

 _The rockstar Prosecutor against the well-worn defense attorney? You're out of your league rock boy!_

"I know just what you two are thinking." He said with a grin. "You're out of your league rock boy!" "I'm sure."

"Well damn." Phoenix mumbled to me.

"Well I assure you two, this is the real job, rocking for the frauleins is just for fun I assure you."

The two were silent as the stared down one another before the judge eventually spoke up. "So, let's get this one on the road as the kids would say."

 _What kids say that?_

"I call the lead detective to the stand." Klavier said. Quickly, a huge man wearing a scruffy trench coat appeared before the stand.

"Let's hear the name, ja?" He asked the man.

"Detective Dick Gumshoe, homicide detective at the precinct. I headed the initial investigation into the murder."

 _Detective Gumshoe, been awhile._

"Hey you! Wright!"

"What?"

"This is the day I finally best you! So get ready to lose!" Gumshoe said with a gleeful smile. Gavin merely shot him a deep glare from the bench.

"Detective, this is my gig. Keep your out of court friendliness that: Out of court."

Gumshoe merely slumped down as he nodded to indicate that he received the message.

"So you know that detective Mr. Wright?" Brady asked.

"Yeah, he's worked almost all my cases. Both a friend and enemy, but above all else a constantly falling salary."

Klavier banged his fist on the gallery wall, annoyed with the two. "Can we get on with this already?"

 _Why do I feel like we have a gun to our head against this guy? It's like he hated us before we ever said a word. Something's clearly wrong here and I feel we'll have to figure this out soon then later._

"The facts of the case are as follows: The crime happened six days ago. The victim, Magnifi Gramarye, was lying asleep in his hospital bed. Suddenly someone walks in and shoots him in the head and boom. …And those are the basic facts." Gumshoe said.

"Mr. Wright, most cases are processed within a day or so right? What took them six days to bring this one to trial?"

"Ah, Herr Nervos speaks. I was worried your voice went kaput."

 _Wait, he can hear me? I'm not that nervous… whatever don't intimidated Brady._

"Anyhow a certain detective" He began glaring at Gumshoe "filed everything wrong and it took three days before we could properly prepare a case as a result." Gumshoe just stared at the floor dourly. "Anyhow, the victim was on the verge of death as he's been hospitalized over a year with malgnorant tumor." Gumshoe continued.

"You mean malignant." Klavier finished. "In other words, the man was already knock-knock-knockin on Heaven's door. Just three months to go on his Stairway to Heaven."

 _Then why bother to kill the man? It's not like he was in the prime of his life. Which means there must be a_ _ **really strong reason**_ _behind this._

"Mr. Wright, why bother killing someone who was this close to death? Especially someone who had essentially made Zak who he is today?" Brady asked.

"That's what we're about to find out, whether Zak likes it or not." Phoenix said confidentially.

"Detective if you would, please testify to the circumstances of the shooting." The Judge asked.

 **The Circumstances:**

Well in truth, the Victim ordered his disciples to kill him.

Not long before it happened, he sent them each a letter ordering them to kill him.

The defendant, Zak Gramarye, did as he was told and shot him in the forehead.

The pistol from the scene is no doubt the weapon, owned by the old man.

Everyone was in a sense of shock from the first statement. "The victim asked for his own death!?" The Judge asked in his own brand of collected shock.

"As the detective said. The Letter in question here reads: To my beloved student, Zak. To you I entrust the lowering of my life's curtain. Come on the 13th at 11:05 PM. I will ready a gun with which you will shoot, one shot, square in the forehead. You cannot refuse, and we both know the reason why. Magnifi Gramarye"

 _Uh oh, that last line screams of motive. Even vague as it is, it's suspicious._

"Very well, you may cross examine the witness Mr. Wright." The Judge said.

 **Cross Examination: The Circumstances**

"Mr. Wright, Detective Gumshoe seems confident that it was Zak who shot him. Let's press him on that."

2\. Not long before it happened, he sent them each a letter ordering them to kill him.

"And you're sure that this was written by the victim?" Phoenix asked.

Gumshoe grew a huge grin on his face. "Oh yeah! We checked it for sure! Score for us!"

"Is he always this boastful, Mr. Wright?" Brady asked. "Not typically, but he's usually not given the chance. He's usually getting his salary lowered by the hour." Phoenix replied.

"Anyways with that cleared up…"

3\. The defendant, Zak Gramarye, did as he was told and shot him in the forehead.

"Hold it!" Phoenix yelled. "What makes you so confident that it was Mr. Engimar who shot Magnifi and not the other disciple?"

"Well, it's kind of obvious if you take the facts together!" Gumshoe said. "A letter here that specifically asks the defendant to shoot the victim and the gun he was shot with. Kind of obvious, isn't it?"

"But, I still wouldn't shoot just because the letter said so." Brady said. "I mean if you wrote such a letter I'd just throw it away.

 _Please tell me that wasn't his argument._

"Well also, there was gunshot residue from the pistol, meaning it had been shot recently to the crime. So the obvious assumption would be the crime."

Brady then stood up for the first time, having seen it in the photo. "Well what about the clown? In the photo here it's shot too!"

Gumshoe suddenly started panting in nervousness.

… _. You've got to be kidding me. In six days no less._

"The guns only carried one bullet, so how could he shoot the victim and the clown in the forehead? The answer is that he couldn't!" Brady said before realizing he had gotten himself carried away. The Judge just stared at him. "Who are you again?"

"Brady Hastings, future attorney, current attorney assistant with Mr. Wright. Your Honor, this creates a huge hole in the prosecution's argument!"

Klavier just shrugged back. "Why would he bother shooting the clown? There's no use to it!"

"It's not just the clown, but where the clown was shot." Phoenix continued on. "It was shot in the forehead." Klavier stood frozen, realizing the implication. "Uggh, Herr Forehead you say?

"Yep." Phoenix banged his hands on the table. "Which means he couldn't have shot both!"

Klavier looked concerned for a moment before regaining his cool. "Heh. Don't worry Mr. Wright, this was just a warm up for you and your assistant there. The real show's about to get started. For I shall call my next witness, the other disciple of Magnifi Gramarye, Valant!"

The Judge nodded in approval. "But first I believe a brief recess is in order. We shall return in fifteen minutes."

Everyone then stood up to leave to their respective lobbies, both sides not really sure what to read of the others.

 **A/N: This is the first time I've ever written a trial section so I'm curious how I did, hopefully not too rough. Hopefully I've built suspense for that infamous scene and what changes. Look forward to it on Sunday :D**


End file.
